1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for producing poly(allylamine) derivatives. More perticularly, it relates to the prcedures for producing reaction product of poly(allylamine) and an acrylic compound, and poly(N-methylated allylamine).
2. Description of the Prior Art
i. Being a cationic polymer having a primary amino group, poly(allylamine) would be supposed to be highly reactive and to react with various compounds. Accordingly, if it is actually possible to introduce various substituent groups into poly(allylamine) by the reaction with various compounds, there will be provided a means to modify the properties of poly(allylamine) so as to meet the requirements of a particular use. This will be of industrial rignificance. It has, however, been not easy to obtain poly(allylamine) itself which is the starting material to prepare derivatives by the introduction of various groups. In the presence of common polymerization initiators, allylamine polymerizes to a polymer of low polymerization degree in a low yield. A poly(allylamine) of high polymerization degree is obtained only by the radiation polymerization. For several reasons, however, the radiation polymerization is not a technique accessible to anyone who desires to utilize it. Therefore, it has been difficult to produce on a commercial scale poly(allylamine) and, in turn, poly(allylamine) derivatives.
ii. Further, for instance, the primary amino group of poly(allylamine) is expected to undergo addition reaction with a compound having an unsaturated bond adjacent to an electron attracting group. Thus, when poly(allylamine) is reacted with acrylonitrile, cyanoethylation is expected to take place, resulting in introduction of highly polar cyano group into poly(allylamine); when reacted with acrylamide, there will occur carbamoylethylation, resulting in introduction of carbamoyl group capable of forming a strong hydrogen bond; when reacted with sodium salt of acrylic acid, there will occur carboxyethylation, resultihg in introduction of negative charge; and when reacted with an acrylic ester, there will occur introduction of a hydrophobic group into poly(allylamine). However, as described above, since poly(allylamine) is obtainable only by a very specific polymerization technique, there has heretofore been no commercial process for producing poly(allylamine) derivatives by the reaction with acrylic compounds. Therefor, such a commericial process has been strongly demanded to be available.
iii. Further, poly(N-methylated allylamine) is also expected to find several uses. However, when monomeric N-methylallylamine or N-dimethylallylamine is polymerized in the presence of common radicaI-polymerization initiators, there is obtained only a trace amount of low-molecular-weight poly(N-methylallylamine) or poly(N,N-dimethylallylamine). A process for producing poly(N-methylated allylamine) by the N-methylation of poly(allylamine) is conceivable but not commercially practicable, because, as described above, high-molecular-weight poly(allylamine) is obtained only by the specific technique of radiation polymerization. Therefor, the development of a commrecially feasible process has been awaited.